Method of making checkstraps



L. J. CARTER METHOD OF MAKING CHECK STRAPS Aug. 20, 1946.

ori inai Filed Feb. 26, 1944 Patented Aug. 20, 1946 METHOD OF DIAKING CHECKSTRAPS Latt J. Carter, Kannapolis, N. 0., assignor to I Graton & Knight Company, Worcester, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Original application February 26, 1944, Serial N 0. 523,991. Divided and this application January 17, 1945, Serial No. 573,291 7 4 Claims.

My present invention is a divisional of my prior and copending application Ser. No. 523,991, filed February 26, 1944, now Patent No. 2,371,025, granted March 6, 1945, covering my improved check strap as an article of manufacture; the present divisional application being directed to cover and protect the method of manufacturing said check strap.

As explained in my said parent application, my present invention enables a check strap to be manufactured and utilized, wherein the open ends of the strap can be threaded thru the friction clutch or other parts of a loom without dismantling the loom, and may thereupon hav the open ends united, preferably, thru an intermediate plug member, thus completing the assembly of the check strap directly on the loom and, preferably also, with means to provide a considerable range of adjustment for the length of strap desired during the operation of joining th ends and plug.

Furthermore, my present method and the check strap resulting therefrom provides a preformed and predetermined bevelled face on the plug and, preferably, a preformed molded bevelled surface On the middle portion of the check strap opposite the plug, so that the benefit and advantage of full contact with the picker stick during its oscillations within the confines of the check strap is secured. Thus, by premolding th middle portion of the check strap into a loop and assembling a plug member or a series of members for width and stick-contacting bevel or face desired, I secure the advantages of an even wear and longer life with my novel type of check strap, as well as increasing the checking operation by a wedging action at the plug end.

A further and most important feature of my present improved check strap consists in the universal adjustability accorded by my novel construction. Thus, by forming the open-end loop of a length and size sufficient for largest, looms intended to be supplied, and thereupon forming a set or series of plug layers, each with a plurality of spaced and adjusted openings or markings in each end portion to which the securing bolts are fitted, I am able to make from a single standard blank a large range of variably sized check straps, both'in length and width at the plug-holding end.

These perforations in adjusted or spaced position, 'or markings for same, would be gauged to correspond with the standard lengths of looms within the range for which the check strapjis made. Such adjustments could b either marked a larger, or the 1, 2, and 3 for size, and/or could be marked with the standard size of the loop check straps heretofore employed, such as 22, 23, 24,,etc. By this arrangement, a single standard line of check straps can be kept in stock instead of alarge number and series, which require separate bookkeeping, storage, and handling; and when new check straps are desired the same can be prompt- 1y assembled by selecting the necessary number of layers for the width of plug and fitting the bolts thru the proper end portions of a strap for the size and length required.

I may also simply mark the end portions of the check strap where they are brought together to form the loop and make the perforations at the last moment just before completing and assembling the same, thus leaving the rest of the end unperforated; or, as above noted, I can make the series of perforations for the holding bolts, thereby having the strap ready to receive said bolts at any sized number. which it is desired to supply. This feature is. of great importance.

In carrying out my present method, I prepare a check strap of sufiicient length to permit a pre-moldingof th middle portion in forming the strap into a U-shaped contour, together with sufficient length for each side'or arm of the U to permit adjustment for the greatest length of loom and picker-stick oscillations desired. The series of perforations have this adjustable length feature or a series of markings therefor can be 'which maybe either a single plug of suitable contour to cooperate and align with the bolt or rivet holes in the ends of the arms, said plug member preferably having a preformed beveled face to correspond with the pre-formed molded bevel at the base of the U in the check strap, viz. at the opposite end.

Thus the picker stick during the checking operation will strike only against the middle of the check strap, at the premolded portion; and at the other end will strike on the plug at the prebevelled portion. Preferably, I make the plug end of a series of layers so that any width desired can be instantly assembled when putting the bolts or rivets thru the ends and the intermediate.

plug member or members.

3 check strap construction as shown and claimed in the patentto Mark C. Howarth No. 2,291,587 of July 28, 1942, as such a double-layered construction is peculiarly beneficial to the loop and plug feature of'my present open end check strap, giving strength and increased wear and, hence, long life to the completed strap.

Refer-ring to the drawing illustrating preferred embodiments of carrying out my method:

Fig. 1 is a side view, partly broken away, showing my loop check strap;

Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the check strap threaded thru the friction'devices on a loom, the latter being partly in cross section;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a modified form; and

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view on the line 4II of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view showing the range of adjustment afforded by my improved check strap.

As shown in the drawing, my improved check strap is of suitable length and of any material desired, preferably being a double-fold leather strap, as above noted, and is herein shown for illustrative purposes, the strap being designated generally as I, with the middle portion in the form of a bow or U-shape 2, preferably molded into this shape and .with the opposite ends 4 and 5 being united together by bolts 8 and 9 with the intermediate plug member I0. These bolts are detachably secured With nuts IIII as shown, or in any other suitable manner, the intermediat plug member III being provided with a bevelled face I2 on the inner or loop end, which bevel is substantially that of the picker stick at the end of the oscillation to give a substantially fulllength contact on the plug member.

This plug member III may be of any suitable material and of any thickness desired, being herein shown as comprising two or mor leather layers. Where a double or folded check strap, such as that of said Howarth patent is employed, I form the same with the opposite edges I4 and I5 arranged at the to of the check strap, and

the folded edge 16 at the bottom to obtain the advantages explained in said l-Iowarth patent. With the loop check strap construction as thus explained, the nuts II or other fastening means can be readily released and the end portions of the check strap 4 and 5 threaded thru the friction members, usually employed on a loom where a circular strap is desired.

As herein shown in diagrammatic form, these friction members comprise adjustable rounded members I8 and I9 on each side thru which the check strap is threaded and, thus, the strap encircles the picker stick 20. These friction members I8 and I9 can be released for threading thru the ends 4 and 5 and arms of my check strap and, therefore, the friction device can be adjusted, as desired, and the bolts 8 and 9 uniting the ends and the intermediate plug are assembled.

' 'The width of the plug II) can be variable. As

. shown in Fig. 2, the width of the plug II) is less than the Width of the picker stick 2!) and, therefore, as the picker stick approaches the plug end of my check strap, it will engage the. sides of the check strap and afford a wedging and checking action before the sitck actually strikes the face I2 of the plug. Such wedging is released by the check strap sliding bodily thru the friction members I8 and I9 so there will be no interference with the-stick at the start of the re- 1 turn stroke. r

In Fig. 3 I have illustrated a plug of a width substantially equal to that of the picker stick 20 with which the check strap is to operate, so that the picker stick will strike the bevelled face 26 of this wider plug 25 without the wedging action on the side Walls of the check strap.

In the form shown in Figs. 3 and 4, I may also mold the middle portion of the check strap constituting the bow or U-shaped portion '30 opposite the plug end with a pre-bevelled contour 3 I as shown in Fig. 4.

It will thus be appreciated that I have devised a check strap construction uitable for application to a loom where heretofor a circular or continuous check strap has been employed, and which latter required the partial removal of the loom-friction devices to apply the same; and I have also developed a new and novel check strap construction which is extremely simple, eflicient, and wear-resistant.- In case of wear on the plug members I2 or 25, they can be readily renewed and plug members of different width and different material can be utilized, if found desirable.

' I prefer to form these plug members of layers of leather of substantially the same strength and density as that of the strap I, and can thus readily build up the thickness of the plug to vary the wedging action of the picker stick where a narrower plug is employed or intofull width of the picker stick, as shown in Figs; 3 and 4.

As shown in Fig. 5, I have illustrated different methods of fitting or marking the end portions of the check strap I so as to provide for universal adjustability to looms of varying sizes within a substantial range. As above noted, this is a very important feature, as heretofore check straps, particularly those made in circular form, had to be originally built of predetermined lengthto' fit the loom to which it'is intended the samewas to be applied, these being designated by different numbers and sizes.

Therefore, a manufacturer had to have on hand a substantial supply of different sized check straps, requiring separate handling, bookkeeping, accounting, etc., and thus, one check'strap made for one size loom could not be substituted for a different size loom.

By means of my present open-end loopconstruction, I am enabled to have one standard size provided with suitable adjusting designations so that from'a single stock supply on hand, check straps can be readily and instantly assembledto fit any size loom desired within the range accorded by the length of the strap.

For this purpose, as shown in Fig. Eel-may provide a set of bolt-receiving holes properly spaced for the different sizedstraps, within the range accorded by the length of the check strap, which series of holes are designated at 36-33, which holes are appropriately spaced to receive the bolt holes 8 and 9 when assembling the loop strap. Two series of such bolt openings 38 can be arranged at the top and bottom of each end portion of the strap I and in spaced relation coe operating with the corresponding bolt openings defined in length, I have illustrated the same as marked 22, 23, and 24, so that thebolts fitted thru the corresponding 32 2" openings would be for thegshorter loops desired, and those for the longer openings nearer theyend portions would make the check strap a correspondingly qn e h.- r

Instead of preforming the holes 30, I may simply designate the properly spaced points in which a single hole can be quickly punched when the strap is to be assembled with the plug.

I claim:

1. The improved process of making an open end check strap of the kind described, with an intermediate plug united at the open ends of said strap, which consists in preparing a check strap of suitable length to permit a pre-beveling and premolding at the middle portion, together with a range of adjustability for length at the open end portion, thereupon premolding the middle portion into U-shaped contour with a predetermined bevel, preparing a plug member for fitting between the open ends, said plug member having a preformed face substantially corresponding to the preformed bevel of the U-portion, and thereupon uniting the open ends and the intermediate plug to complete the check strap.

2. The improved process of making a check strap with an intermediate plug member uniting the open ends of a, U-formed strap of the kind described, which consists in moldingthe central portion of the check strap into the contour of a U-shaped 100p, forming perforations in the opposite arms of the U in alignment, preparing a plug for assembly between said arms, said plug having preformed holes to cooperate with those in the open ends, said plug having a preformed face construction and arranged for assembly with the open ends, and bevelled from the bottom portion upwardly to give full face contact to a picker stick oscillating within the loop of the check strap thus formed, thereupon uniting the end portions of the arms and intermediate plug by positioning the same with selected holes thru arms and plug in alignment and fitting therein rivets, bolts, or the like to complete the check strap. v

3. The improved method of making a check strap having a U-shaped'contour and an intermediate plug member at the open ends of the strap, which consists in preparing a leather blank of twice the width of the strap intended to-be made and of a sumcient length'to allow for adjustability of the longest length of loom with which the strap is to be used, thereupon folding said strap lengthwise to constitute a wear-resisting layer and a reinforcing layer, premolding the middle portion of said folded strap to a predetermined contour, with a bevel extending from the integral bottom portion uniting said two layers upwardly toward the folded edge portion, and thereupon applying an intermediate plug between the open ends of the arms uniting said plug and arms, said plug having a bevelled face cooperating with that on the molded middle portion.

4. The improved process of making a check strap with an intermediate plug member uniting the open ends of a U-formed strap of the kind described, which consists in molding the central portion of the check strap into the contour of a U-shaped loop, forming perforations in the opposite arms of'the U in alignment, preparing a plug comprising a plurality of layers for assembling 

